Chronicle of the 70s
Chapter 128 - 125 exchange for 450 extra monthly tickets

Chapter 128: 125 exchange for 450 extra monthly tickets

After having that dream, Li Xianglu always felt that Qin Xi and the man in her dream were somehow connected, so she often observed him unconsciously and discovered that this guy was really strange. He didn’t act or speak like someone his age at all. Qin Xi was only nineteen this year, and seemed to have been like this for the past two years, almost like a father figure compared to the heartless Qin Zhen.

Li Xianglu has always been an open-minded person and did not force herself to dwell on problems she couldn’t solve.

In recent days, when Xi Yunmei and the child Lu Ping’an were around, Li Xianglu didn’t go out much. Now that the New Year was approaching and everything at home was ready, she planned to visit the home of that woman she met at the black market last time.

Li Xianglu dressed neatly, carrying a bag of peanuts in her hand, certainly from the reserves in her storage ring, with a salty and fragrant flavor.

Li Xianglu left her neighborhood and after asking several people, she finally found Qiu Jun’s house.

Qiu Jun was the man of the woman from whom Li Xianglu bought flour last time. He worked in an oil refinery and was paralyzed at home due to a spinal injury.

Before, that woman mentioned she had some things she wanted to sell to Li Xianglu, who hadn’t had time to come to the county until today. If the items were suitable, she planned to give them more food since this family was really in need.

Qiu Jun’s wife, Wang Lijun, was stunned when she heard someone was looking for her home. She had just returned with her son from pulling a supply of coal briquettes and was transporting them into the house, only to hear from a neighbor that a girl was looking for them.

Before long, Li Xianglu appeared at the doorstep of the Qiu Family. Wang Lijun was stunned by the unfamiliar girl in front of her, but when she recognized the familiar hat and mask, she suddenly exclaimed in delight, "It’s you!"

Li Xianglu was taken aback, and quickly glanced at the curious onlookers before pushing open the small fence gate and entering, saying, "Big sister, I said I would come to visit, but I haven’t had time. I’m late."

Wang Lijun, who was also smart, immediately responded, "Hey, why have you only come now?"

At this moment, Qiu Hao, who was helping his mother carry coal, also recognized the visitor. Wasn’t that the melon-selling sister? His dark face filled with joy, thinking, now there would be food at home.

With only a few coal briquettes left, the two quickly finished carrying them and washed their hands before inviting Li Xianglu inside.

Upon entering, Li Xianglu smelled a strong odor of medicine, and frowned. It seemed that this family was in even more difficulty than she had imagined; probably Wang Lijun’s husband was still taking medicine.

It was a small suite. From inside, a heavy cough could be heard, and Wang Lijun, carrying a bowl of water, said somewhat embarrassedly, "The kid’s father caught a cold recently."

Just then, a little girl holding a wooden doll came out from inside the room and curiously looked at Li Xianglu.

Li Xianglu smiled, then placed the cloth bag on the wooden table and said, "Big sister, I brought some peanuts for the kids, spiced, for the New Year."

Upon seeing half a bag of peanuts, at least two pounds, Wang Lijun knew their home originally had these supplies but they were too reluctant to use them and had distributed them to others who wanted them, exchanging them for some dried sweet potatoes to bring back.

However, seeing the eager looks on the two children’s faces, she thickened her skin and said, "Then thank you, sister."

She finished speaking and transferred the items into another basket, letting her eldest son take it with his sister into the inner room.

The woman greeted Li Xianglu and went out for a while, soon returning with a box in her arms.

The room’s windows were very small, making it quite dark even during the day; Wang Lijun lit a kerosene lamp, instantly brightening the space.

This was a jewelry box about twenty centimeters long, and upon opening it, Li Xianglu saw half a box of items.

There was a pair of Jade Bracelets, a gold bracelet, some earrings and pendants, and seven gold bars.

Wang Lijun sighed and said, "This is everything the house has; keeping it is of no use. I want to exchange it all for food at the market price."

Li Xianglu did not speak; she took out the gold bars and weighed them, each being twenty grams, and the gold bracelet was fifteen grams. That totaled 155 grams. The gold, whose quality wasn’t very good, could only be valued at seven yuan per gram, amounting to 1,085 yuan. The two Jade Bracelets, just ordinary in quality with a bean green type, could be priced at most twenty yuan each, so forty yuan for both.

Assessing the other various earrings and pendants, Li Xianglu noticed one made of mutton fat jade Peace Pendant was rather nice and smooth, which could be evaluated at thirty yuan.

Li Xianglu took out the miscellaneous pendants and placed them aside, addressing the anxious Wang Lijun nearby: "The gold bars and bracelet total 155 grams, due to poor quality I’ll give you seven yuan per gram, so 1,085 yuan. Forty for the Jade Bracelets, thirty for the Peace Pendant, and I’ll take this box for 300 yuan. That makes 1,455 yuan in total; do you want money or grain?"

Wang Lijun was unexpectedly met with such a high offer and became a bit overwhelmed. She had visited the black market before, where the pair of bracelets were offered only ten yuan. Even the wooden box was factored into the price which she didn’t expect could sell, only recalling her father mentioning it was made of red sandalwood. Who knew wood could also be valuable? Had others not told her, she would have given them as well, showing this girl was truly kind-hearted.

Wang Lijun quickly calculated – buying all grain wasn’t safe with just her at home since she had just found a job, her children needed to attend school, and her husband was bedridden at home unable to fend off any would-be thieves.

Li Xianglu, seeing her hesitation and guessing the reason, suggested, "Take half in grain and half in cash. Money is needed for purchasing other things, and for the grain, I’ll find a way to have it secretly delivered to your home tonight. You and your children can quietly move it inside, making sure no one sees – that’ll solve it, who would suspect you have grain?"

Wang Lijun’s eyes lit up, "Yes, just do it that way," and nodded vigorously in agreement.

They then confirmed the types of grain needed – flour, rice, and millet, along with some dates if possible. However, Wang Lijun, now aware from previous experiences that the flour received was much cheaper than what the black market offered, cunningly did not inquire about how much grain the 700 yuan could fetch, deciding to pretend ignorance for her children’s sake.

Li Xianglu handed over 755 yuan and then left.

After dinner, with a flashlight in hand, Li Xianglu came over and pushed at the Qiu Family’s wicket gate which was open, indicating readiness. She discreetly entered, placing three fifty-kilogram bags of flour, one twenty-kilogram bag of rice, along with several hundred grams each of millet, dates, goji berries, and wood ear mushrooms at the window. She also left a packet of sugar she had set aside, wrapped in paper, imagining the joy the two children would feel receiving the candy.

ps: Finished writing, I’m off to sleep. No updates at 7 tomorrow morning, I’ll write when I wake up.